Shingle



R K. CLIFTON,- VSHINGLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1920.

1,436,945. Patented N v- 2j8, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET W/TNESSES INVENTOR Kim. a. 3%; W

ELK. CLIFTON.

SHINGLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, I920.

I 1,43 ,945, Patented Nov; 28, 1922 2 SHEETSwSHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

UNITED STATES ROBERT K. CLIFTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHING-LE.

Application filed September 4, 1920. Serial No. 408,364.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT K. CLIFTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia,- in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented a new and useful Improvement in Shingles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shingles of composition, more or less flexible, which have a tendency to spring or warp under the action of the weather, unless properly restrained and secured. As a result of such distortion not only is the symmetry of the roof destroyed, but serious leakage occasioned.

The objects of my invention are to eliminate these very undesirable possibilities by providing a readily hooked, interlocking form of shingle, to afford positive means for insuring absolute uniformity of driving the nails so that the general result of a finished piece of work will be very even and uniform and every shingle will be posit-ioned and nailed down in the same manner and at precisely the same relative points; as well as divers other advantages which will be more readily understood from the description. I attain these objects by the formation and construction set forth in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a roof with my shingle laid in honeycomb style, with sections and parts removed to show the relations of the several locking members; Figure 2, a similar View showing the diamond point style; Figure 3, a plan view of a single shingle used in the honeycomb style; Figure 4:, a plan view of the same as stamped and before being bent; Figure 5, a reversible plan view of the same after being bent; Figures 6, 7, and 8, sections on lines 6'6, 77, 8--8 in Figure 1; Figure 9, a reversed plan view of the folded shingle of the form used in the diamond point work; Figure 10, a plan View of the same as stamped and before being bent; Figure 11, a plan view of the same after being bent; and Figures 12, 13, and 14, sections on lines 12-12, 13'13, and 14.14: in Figure 2. Similar indices refer to similar parts throughout the Views.

It is to be understood that the interstices appearing at the meetings of the turned edges in these drawings are not intended to indicate actual open spaces, but are magnified that when reduced in reproducing they will more clearly set forth construction so as to indicate that while these edges are in physical contact, they are not sealed or otherwise fastened together.

My system of securely interlocking the adjacent shingles is equally applicable to various styles of work. I have, as examples, shown two of the leading modes already mentioned. In any case the entire perimetral self-locking or hooking edge prevails. My principle consists in having the two entire lower boundaries of every shingle engage respectively with one entire higher boundary of each of two underlying shingles; or, in other words, having the left higher entire edge of every shingle anchored to the right higher entire edge of the shingle adjacent on the left, through the medium of the two lower entire edges of the superimposed and more elevated shingle. In both forms the nail is concealed and protected from the weather by three thicknesses of overlaying material. As will be seen, there can be no excuse for irregularity, guessing, or hit-or-miss work in the nailing down of the shingles, for the exact positions for all nails are clearly and unmistakably indicated by the perforation or opening in the hook.

This is a vitally important feature, for by the precise location of the two nails as described their tension is so coordinated as to stress upon not only the two members penetrated and the bottom one, in between, but as well upon the very topmost shingle at every apex where a pocket is formed by the converging sides of the two nailed shingles. This acts to provide wedging means for holding securely wedged the most exposed member and simultaneously for holding plugged a close joint at this most vulnerable point.

Referring to-Figure 4, which is a plan view of a single shingle as first stamped out, the broken lines a, b, 0, (Z, c, lay out acentral rectangular field, 1, which shows the main body portion of the shingle, and substantially represents the visible area which is to be exposed to the weather. The excess marginal strips, 3, 4c, 5, and 6, are designed, to be folded along the broken lines so as to form the binding, hooking, or interlocking means whereby the entire assembling of shingles is to be woven or linked together so as to form a perfectly water-tight and warp,- proof blanket. As seen in Figure 3, which is a plan view of the shingle after being bent or folded, the margins or strips, 2 and 3, are turned upwardly and back so as to overlap the main body portion and provide a hooking means extending along and over the entire upper two sides, and the margins or strips-4, 5 and 6, are turned downwardly and back to underlap the body, and afford similar hooking members to the entire lower portion of the shingle This is best seen in Figure 5, an inverted plan View.

In the folding process, when the shingle is permanently shaped, there is formed a narrow space or channelwherever a bend is made so as to provide a continuous locking means about the entire perimeter of the body portion, 1, as will be understood from the several section views appearing in Figures 6,7, 8, 12, 13, and 14. The width or thickness of this space is approximately the calibre of the shingle sheeting.

Referring now to Figure 1 and assuming the stage of the work to be where shingle 1 has been last lead, shingle 1 would be the next one to follow. The bottom central hook 6? is directed to the apex (between nails 11 and 10) formed by the upper corner of 1 with its two overturned edges, 2? and 3, (which are, however, already encased respectively by shingle 1 on the left and 1, on the right). At this apex will also be receptively presented the lower corners of, respectively, the hooking planes, 3 and 2. The shingle 1 on being urged upwardly, causes the hook 6 to slip beneath the apex just described and immediately thereafter the two underturned edges, 5 and 4, to enter beneath the two planes, 3 and 2, respectively. When the shingle has been advanced as far as it will go all the interlocking members will be in final position and the guide nail holes, 7, and 8 will be found to be positioned just beyond the upper edges, respectively, of shingles 1 and 1, and within the angle formed thereby, and the nails 10 and 11 should now be inserted in the holes and driven down flush with the sur face of 1 whereupon the operation is complete and the shingle next to the right may follow. In this Figure 1, various sections are represented as cut across and broken away, and the various hooking members indicated by the same corresponding numerals, qualified by different small letters, to enable the exact relations of each set, or pair of coupling means to be readily understood. It will be observed that the smallest coupler, 6, will always fall between, andbe securely retained by the two nails, 11 of one shingle and 10 of .its neighbor, and that these nails must always appear at precisely the same relative positions throughout the entire stretch of roof.

Where the diamond point style is desired it is obviously necessary to omit the hooking member 6, in order to produce the sharp angular apex instead of the flattened form used in the honeycomb. To accomplish this, a slight modification of the original stamping is, of course, required. As seen in Figure 10, when first stamped and before bending, and in Figure 11, a View from above after bending, and in Figure 9, from below after bending, the overbent folds 12 and 13 (corresponding with 2 and 3 in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5), are elongated a trifle at their lower extremities so as to terminate in an acute, instead of an obtuse, angle and within this angle the nail locating holes, 17 and 18, areplaced. This formation brings the nails of adjacent shingles closer together than in the former case, a desirable consideration in the absence of the necessity for a space for thehook 6. As a result of this lengthening of hooks 12 and 13, the upper end of each lower underfolded hook, 14 and 15 (corresponding with 4 and 5 in Figures 1, 3, 4:, and 5) is squared, while their lower ends are made precisely the same as all the upper corners,.whether of 2 and 3, or of 12 and 13. The method of application of the shingles of this style is the same as that already described with suchpossible difference as maybe occasioned by placing and guiding but two, instead of three, hooking members. To the average experienced worker there would be no appreciable difference.

The section cuts shown. in Figures 6, 7, 8, 12, 13 and Mare considerably enlarged to facilitate examination.

As all exposed edges are round and of extra thickness due to the bending and shaping, the finished work with my shingles presents a more massive and attractive appearance than that of a roof covered with i the usual cut-edge and flat form, and, obviously, the possibility of water, or even moisture or dampness creeping between is practically, if not actually, eliminated.

Another very advantageous feature is that all possible contraction and expansion are allowed and provided for by the peculiar formation of my article so as to take effect within the interlocking parts and thus relieve the nails and the body oftthe shingle immediately thereabout fromall stress and strain from this source.

A valuable feature, also, is that no special form is required for the startingor eave course, as the upper half of one of thestyle being used may be laid for this purpose. Naturally, an. ampleproportion of special half-shingles wouldlbe includedin the supply provided foreachpiece of-w'ork. If, however, a shortage should occur unexpectedly on a job, there would be noreason for any appreciable inconvenience for any workman might readily cut-up a sufiicient number of whole shingles to prevent any interruption or delay in starting work.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have described and shown in the accompanying drawings a form which at present is preferred by me, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not to be limited to the precise form, arrangement. and organization herein shown and described, and that I hereby reserve the right to re-organize and rearrange these instrumentalities within the scope of my claims.

Having thus explained my invention and shown and described a way of constructing and using the same, without attempting to set forth all the forms in which it may be made, I claim 1. In'a shingle, a flat body portion having continuous hooking means about and adjacent to the entire perimeter thereof and within limits coextensive with the plane of said body portion, and perforations at fixed positions in said means.

2. A shingle comprising a flat body portion, hooking means partly above and partly below adjacent to and coextensive with the sides thereof and within limits coextensive with the plane of said body, and perforations in said hooking means above said body.

3. A shingle comprising a fiat body portion having each entire edge turned back so as to extend parallel and form a pocket with said body portion, and perforations in fixed positions in said turned back edges.

4. A shingle comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having two entire adjacent edges of one half turned up and back so as to extend over and parallel with said body portion and form a pocket therewith, perforations at fixed positions in said turned back edges, and having the entire edges of the remaining sides turned down and under said body portion so as to lie parallel and form a pocket therewith.

5. A shingle as described in claim 4 and formed from a rectangular piece of flexible material having one pair of diametrically opposite corners flattened and the other pair of diametrically opposite corners notched, and with per orations adjacent to each notched portion, all substantially as described and shown.

6. In a shingle, a substantially rectangular body portion, hooking means extending entirely along each side thereof to engage similar hooking means of every other shingle contiguous thereto when said shingles are assembled in the formation or" a roof, all of said hooking means being confined within limits coextensive with the limits of said body portion, and means to accurately indicate the locations for so nailing said shingles when being so assembled that the stress of each nail when driven as so indicated will directly act upon each contiguous shingle in addition to the shingle penetrated thereby, all substantially as described and shown.

Signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this sixteenth day of August A. D. 1920.

ROBERT K. CLIFTON.

Witnesses:

ROBERT G. CLIFTON, C. E. REINARD. 

